Cop shop hosts star
Police in New Dehli have grilled one of India’s leading Bollywood actors over an ever-growing 1xBet money laundering case.
questioning for seven hours
India’s Department of Revenue’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) reportedly held actor Sonu Sood, 52, for questioning for seven hours on Wednesday.
Reports state Sood and his attorneys entered the ED office at noon and left at 7pm, during which an officer questioned the actor and recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to The Economic Times, investigators allege the 1xBet case is linked to a racket using the hawala money transfer system, and has suspected links to operations in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Other celebs involved
While Indian news sources haven’t said if police charged the renowned philanthropist and film producer or not, according to reports, the ED investigation linked to the iGaming firm began after police suspicions were aroused by “a lavish reception” in the UAE hosted by one of 1xBet’s founders.
On Monday, the ED also questioned ex-cricketer Robin Uthappa. Both he and Sood join other celebs, including cricketers Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, and Yuvraj Singh, and actors Mimi Chakraborty and Ankush Hazra, who have been questioned in relation to the 1xBet betting app.
India passed a wide-ranging ban on online gambling
According to reports, the investigation is part of the ED’s wider probe into illegal online gambling platforms. Last month, lawmakers in India passed a wide-ranging ban on online gambling.
Multiple sources believe the ED has lined up other actors, cricketers, celebrities, and online influencers for questioning “in the coming days.”
Widening the net
The ED is purportedly questioning the likes of Sood to discover how the illegal firms established contact, how and where they were paid for promoting the firm, and who their contacts were in India.
The federal enforcer has also asked the celebs for copies of their contracts with 1xBet and “relevant e-mail and paper documentation.”
The ED is also purportedly mulling attaching assets owned by those who have received financial reward from gambling sites. The body is examining if the payments received by the celebs can be classified as “proceeds of crime” under the PMLA.
